The Time It Takes
by WritingRamblingRavenclaw
Summary: Nineteen Years is a long time. Follow Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione through weddings, funerals, babies, a metamorphagus werewolf, and... one last year at Hogwarts? DH spoilers! Not done, don't read. And get your arse off the computer and finish!
1. Chapter One: A Proposal

**Author's Note: So, this story takes place after the end of the Last Battle of Hogwarts, after Voldemort's downfall, but right after, so much before Nineteen Years Later. Basically this story will be my, not JKR's necessarily, answers to the many questions left behind.**

"Mrs. Tonks," Harry said, eyeing the woman warily, "I _really _couldn't- I mean, honestly, you're much better suited to- sure Remus and _especially _your daughter would really prefer it was you. I'm _sure _they meant for you to do it."

Andromeda Tonks raised an eyebrow at the young man in front of her. "Are you?" she asked curiously, "Remus and Nymphadora named _you _godfather, Harry. I am quite certain that they made that decision for a reason."

"You're his grandmother, though- you're family!"

"And you're as good as," Andromeda said gently, "Remus saw you as a son, from what Nymphadora told me, and I know that my daughter was quite fond of you. And family… isn't always best qualified to raise a child. You're a perfect example of that, aren't you Harry?" she smiled at him faintly.

"Well- _yeah- _but, really, that's completely different- you would never force Teddy to sleep in a cupboard!"

"That may be so." Andromeda agreed, "But your mother and father made my cousin Sirius your godfather, and when they did so, they did it with the intention that you would live with Sirius should anything happen to them, correct?"

"Well- yes, I suppose, but-"

"You were sent to live with family instead, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But you would have preferred to be raised by Sirius, wouldn't you?"

Harry stared at Andromeda, her warm dark eyes- Tonks' eyes, he noted sadly, and then nodded.

"So there's your answer!" Andromeda smiled. "Teddy didn't have a godmother. You are his legal guardian, Harry… and I love him, of course, but I can't raise another child at this point. Not when Ted and Dora…" she broke off, looking out to something in the distance.

Harry turned his gaze, cautiously, to the little bundle in Mrs. Tonks' lap.

Teddy Remus Lupin, the sleeping little baby with purple and blue hair. Teddy Remus Lupin, who could be a werewolf. Teddy Remus Lupin, named, partially, for his dead father. Teddy Remus Lupin, whose parents had died for Harry. Teddy Remus Lupin, the sleeping little baby who was alone- parentless- just as Harry had been.

"All right." Harry said solemnly. "I'll do it."

Harry James Potter smiled down at Teddy Remus Lupin, who needed him.

---

Without much thought- much thought wasn't quite possible at the moment- Harry apparated to the Burrow. It wasn't quite as a happy a place as it usually was. The house was a mess, the kitchen littered clothes and books and papers and, Harry realized with a little pang in his chest, dozens of products of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Looking on Mrs. Weasley's clock, he noticed that the hands had returned to their normal positions.

Molly- Home, Arthur- Work, Bill- Home, Charlie- Traveling, Percy- Work, George- Home, Ron- Home, Ginny- Home… but one hand wasn't there at all. One hand was gone forever.

"Mrs.Weasley?" Harry asked, looking around the kitchen, "Mrs. Weasley, are you here?"

Suddenly, a pair of arms was wrapped around him lovingly. "Oh, Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley sobbed, "How are you? I- I'm just making-making some _funeral _arrangements…" she sniffed. As she pulled away, she looked at the bundle in Harry's arms questioningly.

"Who've you got their, dear?"

"Er- Teddy, actually. Teddy Lupin." He said, adjusting Teddy in his arms so that Mrs. Weasley could have a better view.

"_Oh, Teddy!" _Mrs. Weasley cried, taking the baby into her arms, "_Poor dear, _just a little baby- no parents… Oh, just like you, Harry, poor thing… are you baby-sitting?"

She rocked Teddy lovingly, holding onto him for dear life. "Er- no. Actually… I'm not sure if you knew… but Remus and Tonks made me Teddy's godfather?"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said, apparently without really paying much attention to anything but the baby, "Yes, I did hear about that, quite an honor, Harry dear."

"Well… Tonks' mum is a bit depressed, see, and… she doesn't reckon she can raise him."

"What?" she cried, "What do you mean? Of course Andromeda can raise him!"

"Mrs. Weasley… Her husband and her daughter just died…"

"Well, that's no excuse! To abandon a child like that… who does she expect to raise the boy?"

"Er…" Harry mumbled, "Me, actually."

"You- but, Harry, you're not eighteen! What is she _thinking, _dumping a child on a poor boy… only just of age, don't know where she could have possibly gotten the idea… completely ridiculous.

"Well." Harry frowned, "Technically, I'm his legal guardian."

Mrs. Weasley frowned, "Well… yes, Harry, I suppose you are. And- I do not doubt your capabilities to raise a child, at all, dear, I'm sure you could bring up Teddy to be a fine young man. You're just so young, darling… and- my daughter- oh. Well, never mind about that. But still, Harry, you are _very _young."

"I'm only a year younger than my mum and dad were when they had me." Harry said, "And there's no need to worry about Ginny, really, Mrs. Weasley, I don't even know where I am with her right now, and"

"Well, I think we should figure that out, don't you?" A voice sounded from over their shoulders.

Harry turned around, and saw her, standing before him, her expression fierce as ever.

"Yeah." he managed to say, "Er- yeah, that's a good idea."

---

HE looked around her room worriedly. It was messier than he'd last seen it, rather like the rest of the house. Her school things were thrown around the bedroom messily, and on the floor in front of him was a picture of a younger Ginny, maybe twelve or thirteen, smiling vivaciously and giggling as a teenaged Fred and George kissed her either cheek.

He looked at Ginny, who was eyeing the picture with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Hey," Harry said desperately, "Hey, Ginny don't cry, I- _Fred _wouldn't want you to cry, you know he wouldn't."

Ginny sighed, glaring at him. "Yes, well, I don't suppose Fred would want to be dead, either."

Harry chuckled, then abruptly stopped, feeling awful and insensitive. "No, I don't suppose he would."

Ginny shook her head. "So, why did you say that to my mother, Harry?" she asked, straightforward as usual.

"Because, Ginny, I am honestly not sure where we are right now."

"Well," Ginny said softly, coming towards him, "Let's see if this clears anything up for you." With that, she reached up, slipping her hands around his neck. Lifting herself up onto the tips of her toes, she pressed her lips to his, passionately, and he kissed her back. It was perfect and beautiful, and as they broke away from each other, Harry could not help but feel like he could do nothing but kiss Ginny for days- years, even.

"Do you know where we are now?" she asked him breathlessly, smiling for the first time in weeks.

" I think so." Harry smiled back at her, "I think we are exactly on the same page now."

"Good to know," she murmured, and he reached back to her and the kissed again. His hands were all around her, gripping her long red satin hair.

"Hey- Gin," he whispered between kisses, speaking straight into her mouth, "Ginny, I love you."

She broke away from him, her face bright with joy. "Oh, Harry," she smiled, wrapping her arms around him and speaking into his chest.

"Harry- I've loved you since first met you, since I was ten years old. I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much. I love you Harry, and I'll never stop.

Harry grinned, holding onto her tight because if he didn't she might get away. Harry knew that people loved him. The Weasleys did, and Ron and Hermione did, and Sirius and Lupin had, and so had Dumbledore. Plenty of people had loved him throughout his life, but- but no one had ever said so.

His mum and dad probably had, Harry reasoned, when they were alive, but the Dursley's certainly didn't. Hermione had always signed her letters with "love," but had she ever said those three, special words? No. Even Mrs. Weasley, who almost definitely loved him, thought of him as a seventh son- she had never said that to him, never said, "I love you Harry."

"I love you, Harry," Ginny whispered again.

Harry grinned down at her, happier than he could ever remember being. Ginny Weasley loved him, and that was the most amazing wonderful thing in the entire world.

"In that case, Ginny- Would you marry me?"


	2. Chapter Two: An Engagement

**A/N: All right, I would like to thank everyone for an overwhelming amount of reviews for chapter one! I'm not sure if 19 is incredible for **_**most **_**first chapters, but it's definitely the most response I've ever gotten. I hope I was able to answer everyone's questions, but if not… or if so… please send MORE! I love getting reviews. They totally make my day. ******

"I- Harry- _what_?" she cried, pulling away from him.

"Er," he mumbled, "Sorry- it was stupid, really, 'course you wouldn't want- sorry…" he stared out her window, fixing his eyes on the Weasley's dilapidated old broom shed.

"Harry," she said, "It isn't that I don't _want _to. It's only- Harry, I'm sixteen. You're not eighteen! It was one thing when You-Know-Who was still out there and everything- but we've got all the time in the world now. Besides, neither of us have finished school yet, and I _hardly _think they'd let us go to school married… I mean, honestly, what would they do about…" she blushed, determinedly not looking at Harry.

"Harry, but it's all right, now! The Death Eaters have been locked up, and you aren't being hunted down anymore, everything's okay!'

Harry nodded. "It's not that school is unsafe. It's… I have to raise Teddy."

"_What_?" She exclaimed, "But Tonks's mum can do that! You can go back to school, you have to! You- _Hermione won't allow it._" She said firmly.

Harry laughed, "No, I don't s'pose Hermione will be too thrilled about the situation."

"Harry, you don't have to raise Teddy. He isn't your son."

"Yeah? Well, he's my godson, Ginny, and the man who should be raising him is dead, dead for me."

"It isn't your fault about Lupin, Harry, or any of the others." She said, her eyes glowing with that fierce look of hers.

"He was there to help me. If it weren't for me, Teddy would have a mum and dad."

"You can't think like that, Harry, Lupin was your _teacher, _he'd want you back in school."

Harry shook his head. "But his kid needs me."

Ginny sighed. "His kid has his _grandmother, _Harry."

"Mrs. Tonks won't do it." Harry said quietly, "I met with her this morning, and she won't raise him. It's up to me."

Ginny looked at him, the fierce spark still in her eyes, and she nodded.

"So you really do need to do this then," she said, looking him straight in the eye, "Well, then, I guess that's what you'll do."

She smiled, and he nodded, kissing her once more before he turned to go.

"And- Harry!" she called, and he turned around.

"Harry… if the offer's still good… when I'm done with school-."

Harry rushed towards her and collected her in his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

"The offer's good whenever you want it, Ginny. I'll wait a hundred years if I have to."

"Okay. If you want me to go into hiding for a hundred years…" she laughed. "How's next June?"

Harry nodded, his face alight with joy. "So… we're engaged, then." He grinned down at her.

She nodded, beaming. "Yep. You're looking at the future Mrs. Harry Potter. I'll have your children, and become a plump, baking housewife, and make cookies… all right, I'm rubbish at cooking, and I've actually wanted to be a Healer for a while, and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to get rid of my figure yet- but… I really will have your children, how's that?" She smiled.

Harry looked her in the eye, kissed her again, and whispered, "That Mr. Harry Potter is going to be the luckiest bloke in the world."

---

"Dear," Mrs. Weasley cried, flopping into a chair, "Harry, darling, fifteen minutes ago you told me that you weren't sure where your relationship with Ginny was, and now you're _marrying _her?"

"Not quite, Mum, he isn't marrying me till next summer." Ginny grinned, squeezing Harry's hand.

"Ginevra- sweetheart, you're not seventeen!"

She shrugged. "I'll be seventeen then, won't I? My birthdays only in a few weeks anyway."

"Well- well," Mrs. Weasley sighed, holding her head in her hands. "You'll wait till you've finished school.

Ginny nodded.

"Oh- oh, _Harry! _" Mrs. Weasley embraced him, "Marrying my little girl… you'll be part of the family! But then," she sniffled, "You've been as good as my son since Ron met you on the Hogwarts Express, dear." Harry smiled, a tad embarrassed, but glad that Mrs. Weasley hadn't killed him or forbidden him from ever looking at Ginny again. "Speaking of which, dear, your letters for Hogwarts came, along with Ron and Hermione's. Professor McGonagall must know that you three plan on graduating with Ginny's year."

Ginny caught Harry's eye, and he frowned. "Er- Mrs. Weasley- I thought you understood- I'm taking care of Teddy, you see."

"You are going to finish you're education, young man." She said sharply, "You can care for Teddy when you've graduated."

"Bu- But that's a year away! Who would look after him until then?"

"I've raised seven children, Harry," she said, "You've been best friends with one since you were eleven. You've just decided to marry another." She patted Ginny on the head. "Wouldn't you say I'm capable of handling a baby for a year?"

"Er- of course…" Harry said slowly, looking over at Ginny, who was grinning widely, "Teddy, though- He's not quite an ordinary baby. He's a metamorphagus, and that shouldn't be a problem, but- he might be a werewolf… Remus never actually said…"

"Well, we'll address that issue when it comes up, then, won't we?" She said, "I daresay I can handle it. Besides, an infant werewolf is relatively harmless, only a wolf cub, especially with the Wolfsbane potion… it should be all right, Harry." 

"And…and you don't mind at all, Mrs. Weasley?" He asked catiously, "I mean, it's a lot of trouble, I'm sure…"

"Better trouble for an old woman than for a young man like you, dear." She smiled, patting his shoulder. "And- and it will be good for me, really, to have a baby around, with Ginny and Ron at school, and-." She bit her lip, "and Freddie… Me and Arthur will be glad to take care of Teddy," she assured him.

"Well, then." Harry grinned at the two of them, "I guess I'm going to school."

Ginny smiled. "Thanks, Mum." She said softly, hugging her mother.

"Of course, sweetheart," Mrs. Weasley smiled, "I remember what it's like, of course, to be young and in love… I'm not so old."


	3. Chapter Three: A Funeral

**A/N: All righty, guys- it was because of the continued large amount of readers, reviewers, and added-to-my-alert/favorite-listers that I wrote this chapter last night and am already posting it. Y'all inspire me, really. Chapter Three is sort of sad at the beginning, but it includes some great moments for our favorite Trio, so enjoy!**

"Remus Lupin was my teacher at Hogwarts for only one year, but in that short amount of time, he taught me more than anyone else outside of Albus Dumbledore himself has ever managed to in my entire life. Er- sorry, Professor McGonagall. But- Remus was a different sort of teacher. He was kind, and brave, and he taught more than just your typical classroom stuff. He taught me the kind of things that matter a bit more than that in life. He taught me one of the most useful spells I know, one that's saved my life countless times. He taught me about friendship, because he was a great first to my parents and then to me. He was the first person I ever knew who was friends with my dad and mum, and if it weren't for Remus I might have never met my godfather. Most important though, Remus Lupin taught me about how people won't always like you- how people won't always accept you, even. He taught me how in the end, it doesn't matter what people say about you. He overcame so much in his life. People were cruel to him- afraid of him, because of his condition, but he still helped people whenever he could. He joined the Order of the Phoenix, and did whatever he could to fight Voldemort. He still had friends, and- and he still fell in love, and eventually he even sucked it up and admitted to it! He married Nymphadora Tonks, and however short their time together was it was still beautiful. When Teddy was born- Remus couldn't have been happier. I'm sure his only regret in life would be to not be able to see his little boy grow up to be the great man that I know he'll be. With a mother and father like that- I'm sure he'll be the best of both of them. Brave, smart, willing to risk everything for the people he loves, loyal, funny and fun to be around, and a great friend, and right good-looking, too. Clumsy, I'd expect, like his mum, and a great teacher, even if that's not what he does for a living. I know he'll make them proud. Thank you."

Harry took his seat next to Ginny. She squeezed his hand.

"That was great, Harry," she kissed him on the cheek softly, and Harry could feel the fresh tears on her face. Fred's funeral had been a few days earlier, attracting much more of a crowd than Remus and Tonks' ceremony.

Ron and Hermione sat beside Harry and Ginny, holding hands. Hermione was in tears, looking miserably on the two bodies, and Ron looked like he was determined not to cry. He had been quite embarrassed after breaking down during Fred's funeral, though Hermione had assured him it was only natural, and that she'd be quite worried if he hadn't cried.

They didn't know about the engagement yet. Harry and Ginny had agreed to keep it quiet, but Harry really wanted to tell Ron, even though he was likely to punch him in the face. It felt wrong not to tell him something so important. And Hermione- she was always good to talk to about relationship things, except for that irritatingly knowing look she got in her eye, which didn't seem likely to appear at this occasion. Yes, Hermione would be good to tell- especially since he planned on surprising Ginny with a ring for her 17th birthday and he had no idea what to get.

Harry looked around the church at the small crowd that had gathered around the church. There was Mrs. Tonks, carrying Teddy for the day, all of the Weasleys, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Hogwarts teaching staff, some men and women he recognized from the Ministry and the Order, Neville and his Gran, Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood, the Patil twins and Lavender Brown, who was still recovering from Greyback's attack, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and a few other Hogwart's students. There were also several sobbing witches and wizards who looked to be in their twenties, who Harry assumed were Tonks' friends from school.

Everyone in attendance looked completely miserable, Harry noted. It was a funeral, of course, so that was only to be expected, but still. It was an awful occasion, even for a funeral, with all of its guests sadly remembering a lively, laughing woman and kind, caring man, and wondering curiously about the orphaned baby boy they'd left behind.

---

"That was sad," Ron said as he, Harry and Hermione walked through the crowded London street.

"It was a _funeral, _Ron," Hermione said, "Were you expecting a lively picnic?"

"Well- _no- _but at least at Fred's funeral there was a laugh here and there… your speech was right depressing, though, mate."

"_Ron,_" Hermione sighed, sounding as if she was wondering what she had done to deserve such an insensitive berk of a boyfriend, "_Honestly_. Your speech was beautiful, Harry, it made everyone cry, except for _this one, _who was determined not to show any emotion whatsoever."

"Well, _really, _Hermione, did you have your heart set on me crying or something?"

"I wouldn't have minded," she sniffed, "But you deal with things your own way, all right?" she smiled at him faintly, and he took her hand. A few months ago, this would have made Harry feel lonely, but now… now he had Ginny, and he could hold her hand everyday for the rest of his life. And it was probably time to let Ron and Hermione know…

"Listen, I've got to tell the two of you something," he said as they settled into a table at the Leaky Cauldron.

Ron eyed him warily. "Something else after us, then?" he asked seriously.

Harry laughed, "Er-no, this… this is good news. Well- _I _think it is anyway, I'm not sure how you'll take it but-."

"Spit it out, mate," Ron said, and Hermione elbowed him.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked gently.

"Well, I've… okay, Ron, I need you to keep an open mind about this, all right?"

Ron looked worried, but he nodded.

"All right…" Harry inhaled, "I've-er- I've asked Ginny to marry me."

They were silent for a moment. Ron's eyes looked as if they were about to bulge out of his head. Hermione, on the other hand, beamed.

"Oh, Harry!" she squealed, rushing across the table to embrace him, "Harry- oh, how wonderful!" she held him for a moment before taking her seat next to Ron.

Ron frowned, "But… you can't be married at school."

Hermione smiled again, "They'll wait until after, won't you Harry?"

"Yes- the wedding will be in June."

Hermione squealed again, but Ron continued to frown.

"Are Mum and Dad all right with this?"

"Yeah- Mrs. Weasley's already started with preparations."

"And- and Ginny? She really wants to get married?"

"Well… she did agree to it, yeah," Harry grinned, "Seems pretty happy about it."

Ron nodded, the somber expression still on his face. "So… you're really going to marry her, then."

"Er- that is the plan, Ron," Harry laughed nervously.

Ron didn't laugh.

"You'll- you'll be my brother, then!" he pointed out, finally smiling.

Hermione laughed. "You two are brothers already."

"Right you are, Sis," Harry joked, "So… you aren't going to hit me then?" he asked Ron, his tone much more serious.

"Nah." Ron grinned. "Your kids'll be related to me."

"Uncle Ronnie-kins," Harry snorted.

Hermione smiled, obviously picturing little messy redheaded children, calling her 'Aunt Hermione'.

"Have you got a ring yet, Harry?" She asked.

"No, I wanted your help for that, actually, 'Mione, I was going to surprise her for her birthday."

"Ooh! How romantic!" she said, "Of course I'll help you pick one out. Would you like to go next week."

Harry nodded, grinning, but Ron frowned again.

"Why can't I help?"

"Er- you can- It's only that I thought Hermione might be of more assistance, seeing as, you know, she's a girl… girls know about jewelry… well," he sniggered, remembering the gold necklace Lavender Brown had once presented Ron with that read, 'My Sweetheart', "Most girls do, anyway."

"I want to come, though! She's my sister…"

"Course you can come." Harry said.

"Good," Ron said, sounding comforted.

"Yes," Hermione said, "Well, we've got books to buy!" she actually sounded thrilled at this statement.

"Yippee…" Ron muttered, "Rings sound like much more fun, really…"


	4. Chapter Four: The Perfect Ring

**Author's Note: Once again, much love to everyone who reviewed, especially those awesome people who have reviewed every chapter! Here is chapter three, which includes a man's greatest horror in life… dun dun dun… JEWELRY SHOPPING- with a girl…**

THE TIME IT TAKES

Chapter Four

Harry had decided. Jewelry shopping was officially the most murderous form of torture possible, especially if it involved Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Every time Ron picked something up, Hermione snorted, shook her head, or simply made this irritating clicking noise with her tongue. Ron, in turn, would be hurt and indignant and force her to list everything that was wrong with the ring in question. It was usually quite a long list.

The awful part about it wasn't that Hermione was being annoying. Rather, it was because, as usual, she was right. Ron was rubbish at picking things out- every ring he chose was completely ornate and overdone and all wrong for Ginny.

The most recent ring had consisted of a huge diamond, surrounded by several multicolored gems and covered in flowery gold designs. Harry winced at the sight of it. He was beginning to wish that he had only invited Hermione to come ring shopping with him.

Hermione laughed. "Really, Ron," she scoffed.

Harry was beginning to wish that he'd come ring shopping by himself.

"What's wrong with it?" Ron asked defensively. He seemed quite upset about Hermione's criticism.

"It's _ghastly, _and it's huge, and-." She gasped, "_Ronald! _Honestly! It's seven hundred Galleons, twelve sickles!" she seemed quite upset about Ron's awful taste in engagement rings.

"It's not as if Harry doesn't have the money…" Ron reasoned, leaving a horrified expression on Hermione's face.

"I'm not sure that one's quite right, Ron." Harry spoke up, searching the case of jewelry for something that he might have missed in the last hour.

"Well, _there's _a shock," Ron muttered, "_you _haven't like one since we started looking, and we've been everywhere! I don't see what the big deal is, really, it's just a _ring…"_

"Just a _ring_?" Hermione cried shrilly, "This RING is symbolic of Harry and Ginny's _love! _It's a sign of their commitment to spend the _rest of their lives _together! It should be perfect!" she was eyeing Ron with every sign of anger and hurt, leaving both Ron and Harry quite alarmed, though Harry had a fairly good idea as to what was going on.

Hermione was quiet for a while, until she said, "Maybe we should try a Muggle store."

Ron looked at her in a sad sort of way, as if he was convinced that she'd finally lost that beautiful mind of hers.

"_What?_" she asked dangerously, "Harry's got Muggle money, we've been everywhere else, and I don't think Harry particularly needs an engagement ring that sings or dances or says, 'Marry me! Marry me' over and over all bloody day long!"

Harry considered this, as well as Hermione's testy mood, and nodded, "Yes- yes, I think that's an excellent idea."

Ron was still a bit skeptical, but since he had no desire to anger his girlfriend any further, he agreed. They apparated onto a Muggle street. A few neat little townhouses lined the freshly paved road, as Muggles in sandals and shorts scurried by. Two spoiled looking young girls in white dresses played jump rope on the sidewalk, and some of the little stores were slightly crowded with teenagers, middle-aged women, and old people.

Hermione looked around the street with a sad sort of smile on her face, and took Ron's hand in her own, focusing on one little brown house with boarded up windows and an overgrown yard. "This is where I grew up." She said softly.

----oOoOoO----

After they stood in front of the little brown house for several minutes, Hermione spoke again.

"There's a jewelry shop a bit down that way," she said, pointing down the street. Harry nodded, and Ron looked worried for her, and he didn't let go of her hand as they walked. They went for a while before Hermione stopped in front of a small, quiet shop that had a sign informing passersby that there was a special deal on diamond necklaces.

Somehow, the calm little store seemed much more familiar and right than all of the bustling wizarding jewelry establishments. Smiling, Harry went inside, and was followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Hello dears!" beamed an old but pretty Muggle woman from behind the counter. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Er," Harry muttered, "an engagement ring, actually."

"Oh, how lovely." The woman smiled, "Have you any idea what you're looking for?"

Harry glanced back at Ron and Hermione, but they had traveled to an opposite corner of the shop, and were now squabbling about yet another ring.

"No." Harry admitted, "Haven't the foggiest. But- but it needs to be perfect. The perfect ring."

The woman studied him, smiling slightly. "I say, dear, you _do _look familiar. In fact you look just like that boy- oh, but that must have been twenty years ago…" she trailed off. "You look _just _like him, though." She frowned.

"There- there was a man here?" he asked, frowning, "One who looked like me?"

"Oh, you're the _spitting image! _I'll never forget that young man… he came in with three other boys, all dressed quite oddly and squabbling about something odd- can't quite remember what it was, now, but I was very surprised. And this boy- he was very handsome, of course, he came up and he said, 'I need the perfect engagement ring.' Just like that. Very blunt- I was quite taken aback, but intrigued, so I chatted with him for a bit and asked about his life, and this girl he needed this ring for…"

"And- and what was she like?" Harry asked, quickly. He couldn't imagine why his father would be buying his mum's engagement ring at a Muggle store… but still… it all seemed to fit…

"He told me she was beautiful," the woman smiled, "an incredible looking girl, with dark red hair, shiny and smooth as silk, and eyes the color of my finest emeralds. He also said she was a bit of a spitfire, spunky and bold and not afraid to speak her mind. I'd never met a man so incredibly in love in my life." She sighed.

"Did this man…" Harry asked, now completely sure of his theory, "Did he give you his name?"

"No, I'm afraid not." She said slowly, and then looking on Harry's disappointed face, she added, "but the girl… He called her… his flower. Oh- his _Lily flower. _That's what it was." She smiled, "I suppose her name must have been Lily."

Harry grinned. "So- did he find the perfect ring, then?" he asked.

"It just so happens that he did, dear." She smiled at him. "And- I still have it."

"What?" Harry asked worriedly, "You mean- he didn't take it?"

"Oh, no, he did take it," she said, "but- about two years later, someone came in and told me that the man and his wife had perished, and that they thought that the ring belonged back at the shop. This man… he must have been one of the three who was with the boy the first time, though he looked to be a thousand years older. He told me that I should show this ring to anyone else who came in, looking for 'the perfect engagement ring.'" She looked at him. "And funnily enough, no other man besides you has ever made that request since."

Harry looked at her. "I need to see this ring." He said quickly.

"Oh, of course," she smiled, "I've been keeping it in a special place. I'll be right back, dear."

She disappeared for a moment, and Ron and Hermione approached him. "What've you been doing up here, mate?" Ron asked, frowning, "You've been chatting up this old lady for fifteen minutes."

"Well- you've been arguing just as long." He pointed out heatedly.

Hermione blushed, "Er- Harry…we sort of made up."

It was then that Harry noticed the faint traces of pink lipstick on Ron's face. "Ah." He said slowly. "All right, so I found something weird."

"You have an odd attraction to older women?" Ron suggested, snorting.

"My dad bought my mum's engagement ring in this store." Harry said.

"What?" Hermione asked, "Harry… how could you possibly figure that out?"

"That woman- she told me- not that it was my mum and dad, obviously, but this whole story… and she still has the ring, Remus brought it in after they died, she's going to bring it out right now!"

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at the open black velvet case now sitting on the glass counter- top. "Harry, it's…"

It was the perfect engagement ring.


	5. Chapter Five: They're in Love

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!! I love you all… **_**for always! **_**lol. (FWI- If you are confused… that was my intention! Check out my completed story, Best Friend's Girl, if you wish to be unconfused… or if you fancy a good read as well as a good cry.)****Well, here's Chapter Five! Enjoy, and please review! ******

THE TIME IT TAKES 

_**Chapter Five**_

The three of them stared at it for quite awhile, as though they were sure that the moment they looked away, the ring would have disappeared.

"Well?" The shopkeeper asked finally, "Do you like it, dear?"

Silently, Harry nodded, still looking at the ring. He certainly did like it- it was one of the most exquisite things he had ever seen, right up there with Ginevra Weasley herself.

It was a sort of vintage looking silver, a slender band. There was one perfect diamond in the center, and on either side was a simple design made up of some shimmering silver-white stone. If it had been at Diagon Alley, Harry would have suspected it was Unicorn Horn, but quite obviously that wasn't it.

"High Carat diamond," the woman beamed, "Pure silver, and that's finest white opal on the sides." She had obviously been looking forward to discussing this ring for quite sometime.

Harry nodded, glancing at Ron, who seemed to be wondering what on earth _carrots _had to do with diamond rings. Then, he turned his gaze to the ring once again, and said, quietly,

"It was my mum's." he looked up at the woman, "That man- he was my father."

"Oh!" the woman cried, "Oh, dear, that… Well, you look so much like your father dear, only met him the once, but still… a striking resemblance, really. Can still picture him in my mind quite clearly, along with those handsome companions of his! Charming lads… anyway… An incredible coincidence, really dear."

Harry chuckled. Somehow, he doubted that this was a simple coincidence.

"How much?" he asked the woman suddenly, although it really didn't matter. He needed the ring, it was essential. He'd Confund her if he didn't have enough…

She hesitated, "I don't feel right making you pay for this," she said firmly, "It was your mother and fathers, and who's to say that they didn't intend for you to have it? You… you just take it, love." She smiled at him kindly, "I hope your girl likes it."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he took the box in his hands, held it tightly as he could, because there was a time when _he _had held it. Yes, years ago, his father had held this same ring in his own, identical hand, smiling to himself as he envisioned presenting it to her, the girl he loved and always would, the woman he'd marry. _The perfect ring, _James Potter had thought, clutching it tightly, _Lily will love it… and someday, our child will give it to someone, someone who he loves as much as I love her…_

Harry didn't say a word as they left the store, though Ron and Hermione were chattering behind him. He didn't pay them a bit of attention, until he heard Hermione shriek.

"What is it?" He asked, whirling around to face her and pulling out his wand. He was still jumpy at times, and he wasn't sure he would ever get over that fear of being found that he had acquired in the last year.

"Harry- this- this wasn't the right store!" she exclaimed, looking at him with an expression of worry and excitement.

"What d'you mean?" He asked quickly, "It was the most right store we could have possibly chosen!" he gripped the silver box a bit tighter.

"Harry," she looked around at it, her eyes widening as she discovered that the jewelry shop was gone, and in its place was a deserted, boarded-up building that looked as if it had been empty for years. "Harry, that store closed in _1981. _My mum told me that it used to be a jewelry shop, she would take me in when I was a baby- but it closed, around-." She shut her eyes in realization, "It closed just after Halloween that year."

Harry blinked, turning towards the shop, and then back to Hermione. "So- so you reckon it was a trick, then."

Hermione pried the box out of Harry's hand and opened it to look at the ring, which was still sitting in the box's velvet folds. She lifted it and examined the band, a slight smile on her face. "No," she said, handing the ring to Harry, who looked at the band as well.

There was a single name engraved inside- _Lily. _

Hermione smiled again at Harry's shocked expression. "I think its destiny."

---oOoOo---

"Accio, Fiancé!" the young witch called, causing Harry, who had just entered the house, to fly into her arms, where she locked him into a tight embrace.

"Happy birthday, Ginny," he laughed as they broke apart.

She smiled, and lifted herself onto her toes to press her lips to his. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Grinning, he spun her around the kitchen and kissed her again.

"I love my birthday," Ginny murmured as he put her down gently.

"I'm a big fan, as well." Harry agreed, tucking a loose strand of red hair behind her ear.

"Well, I'm officially of age," she declared importantly, drawing herself up to her full height- of five feet and four inches. "And able to legally work my magic on you whenever I wish."

Harry laughed. "You didn't need to be seventeen for that, Gin."

She grinned up at him happily. "No, I don't suppose I did." She kissed him again, leaving him grinning involuntarily.

"Hey- Ginny, I've got something planned after this party of your mum's- you aren't busy, are you?"

"Oh- Harry," she sighed, her face appearing sad, "Really, you should have said something sooner, my other six fiancés have all got something planned as well… it is my only birthday, after all…" At the sight of his mock-offended expression, she smiled. "What did you want to do?"

"It's sort of a surprise." He said.

"All right," she nodded, raising her eyebrows, "I like surprises."

---oOoOo---

Ginny looked around the dining room table; smiling at all of the people she loved best in the world. There was her very favorite brother, scarred but still whole and smiling and purely Bill, holding hands with his wife, who Ginny was at lest starting to warm up to. She'd even referred to her as Fleur, once or twice.

Charlie was there, fresh from Romania, entertaining everyone with an amusing anecdote about a particularly nasty dragon, his hair long and wild. Her Mum was fussing over Percy, who was smiling for the first time, as far as Ginny knew, since that night at the school. Then there was her Dad, marveling over the Muggle party favors that Hermione had bought.

George, earless and grinning, was mercilessly teasing Ron, actually seeming like himself for the first time in a long time. Ron was holding onto Hermione and grinning; hence the teasing from George. Hermione herself was smiling, looking pretty and perfectly at peace, content to be at Ginny's birthday party, being held by her boyfriend, and spending time with the family she hoped to one day call her own.

Then, next to Ginny and squeezing her hand, was the person who she often felt was too good to be real. Beaming up at him, she squeezed his hand in return, and for a moment or maybe ten, the simply looked at each other. Harry grinned, noting for the fifteenth time that evening how extraordinarily beautiful she was. She had chosen a pale blue, simple dress for her birthday, wearing no shoes. There was a darker ribbon holding back the long, loose plait in her hair, and her eyes were wide with happiness on this occasion. Her cheeks were flushed, but a pale pink, not the scarlet hue that Weasley's often turned when embarrassed. Ginny didn't look embarrassed at all. Rather, she looked perfectly content, simply happy, as if she'd found her place in the world- next to Harry, holding his hand.

They were still holding hands an hour later, as he led her to the yard.

"Are we Apparating somewhere?" she asked, eager to exercise her recently acquired skills and legal abilities.

"Nah," said Harry, who wasn't quite as fond of Apparition as Ginny was, "I thought we'd fly." 

He summoned his broom, mounted it, and smiled back at her. "Get on."

She nodded, boarding the Firebolt behind him, and wrapping her arms around his waist. Happier just by the feel of her touch, Harry grinned to himself. He kicked off, and they flew into the distance.

---oOoOo---

Ginny sighed, tugging on the silky blindfold that her incredibly cheesy fiancé had shoved over her head the minute they had dismounted.

"Harry Potter, if it weren't for the fact that it was eight in the evening and the many loud voices I can hear, I would suspect that you had led me here to do away with me in the dead of night." She gripped his hand even more tightly than she had before, "Can I look now?"

"My, you _are _impatient," Harry noted, "Just a bit further." He instructed, leading her a few more steps, "All right…" he said, "Okay, _now _you can look."

The blindfold disappeared, and she observed her surroundings, the smoke and the noise and the crowd, and then she looked back at Harry, a funny little smile on her face.

"Kings Cross." She said softly, eyeing the familiar wall in front of her.

"So it would appear." Harry agreed.

She laughed a little, and then gazed up at him. "Why?"

Harry turned towards the wall, and smiled. "About seven years ago," he began, "I met someone, in this very spot. Little redheaded girl, very easily excited." He explained, turning to face her. "She was ten years old, had a whole bunch of brothers… and she was crying, because everyone was leaving her behind."

Ginny smiled at the memory, and nodded. "Sounds like a charming girl."

Harry pulled out the slender silver box and handed it to her.

"I'll never leave you behind again," he promised, and she let a little gasp escape her mouth. "It's beautiful, Harry." She breathed, slipping the ring onto a slender finger.

"It was my Mum's." he said quietly, and she looked at him questioningly, but nodded. "Let me see?" Harry asked.

She lifted her left hand, where the ring was shimmering. It fit so completely, so _perfectly, _that Harry could no longer imagine her hand without it. He held the hand in his, and he smiled.

"Do you like it?" he asked her suddenly.

Ginny rested her free hand on his face, and kissed him gently, her eyes full of those rare tears.

"I love you," she murmured as she broke away from him, "And this is perfect."

---oOoOo---

Ron and Hermione sat in the couch of the Burrow's sitting room, Ron looking out the window as Hermione rested her head in his lap. He stroked her hair idly, sending a peaceful smile to her pale face.

"They've been awhile," he noted, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

"She's fine." Hermione assured him softly, for this was his worry. "Harry, too." She added, for this was hers.

Ron nodded, but was obviously not convinced, as he hadn't torn his eyes away from the window.

"You don't think that they're…" Ron muttered nervously, "Do you?" he demanded.

Hermione laughed, sitting up to look at him. "_Honestly, _Ron. He took her to King's Cross Station."

Ron frowned. "Why did they go there anyway?"

"Because that's where they first met, I suppose. He didn't exactly give me many details, either." Hermione explained.

"Yeah, okay, but he can't exactly say that he fancied her back then, though."

"Harry has a plan, I'm sure," Hermione shrugged, and they fell silent for a moment.

"What if he took her to his house after, though?" he asked, a new worrisome possibility occurring to him.

Hermione laughed. "Really, Ron, I doubt he'd take her to Grimmauld Place tonight. He's trying to be _romantic._"

Ron chuckled. "So… you _don't _think they're…" He trailed off, looking her in the eye for the first time.

She smiled and patted him on the hand. "No, Ron. I don't think so."

She turned towards the window this time, and smiled again. "They're back." She informed him, watching them land on Harry's broom. Quickly, Ron turned back to the window, nodded, and launched himself off the couch.

"_Ron!_" Hermione hissed, "Allow them some _privacy._"

Reluctantly, he settled back onto the couch, and they watched the couble walk slowly towards the house. Ginny, barefoot in her blue dress, her red hair loose and wavy from the old braid, smiled up at Harry, who looked happier than Ron or Hermione could ever remember seeing him.

Ginny said something funny, and Harry laughed, putting his arm over her bare shoulders.

"They look happy." Ron noted.

"They're in love," Hermione said softly, a certain sadness in her voice that Ron noticed immediately. He turned to look at her directly, his clear light blue eyes reading her brown ones searchingly. Finally, he took her hands in his and smiled at her.

"Yeah?" he asked, "So am I."

Hermione inhaled sharply, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you?" she asked him, her voice quivering as it often did with emotion. "Funny. Me too."

"Wonder if there's a connection," Ron muttered, and their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.


	6. Chapter Six: Your Decision

A/N: So here's Chapter Six. Sorry it's a little slower on the update than usual… In other news, we have reached 100 reviews!! Well, 108 at the time of me writing this, actually, but still. I continue to be completely overwhelmed by the amount of reviews you guys are putting out there. I love you for it, please don't stop! Here's Chapter Six, enjoy… and review! 

THE TIME IT TAKES Chapter Six 

"Well I like this one, actually, it's quite pretty, see?"

"Yes, but those are so expensive-."

"Oh, completely worth it, though, don't you think? Harry?"

"Er- not expensive is always best- but if you like those-"

"Ginny, _really, _must we go over these things _now? _It's almost a year away, and really, who cares about this stuff? _Flowers…_"

"No one asked you to come, Ron." Ginny snapped irritably. "It's Hermione who I wanted here, but as usual, you _insisted _on tagging along-"

"I'm the best man!" he objected angrily, glaring down at his younger sister and her wedding arrangement clipboard.

"Well, Ron, I'm not sure if you're intelligent enough to realize this, but the Best Man has very little say in flower arrangements. The Best Man has very little say in _anything._"

"So-so you three plan everything, and I just sit and _watch_? What's the point in even doing it?"

"Well…" Ginny sighed. "I don't know why _you're _doing it either, actually. I told Harry you'd be absolute murder to try and work with, that he'd better pick someone else, but seeing as the stupid bloke has _no other friends…_" She hit her fiancé in the head playfully.

"I think you're being unfair to Harry!" Ron announced angrily.

Harry looked up, alarmed. He didn't like where this was going. "Ron, I think she's being perfectly fair to me-"

Ron ignored this. "You picked Hermione! How come your friend gets to do an important job and Harry's doesn't?"

Ginny smiled. "Ah, see, that's where you're wrong. It's the beauty of the situation, really. You see, as you know, Hermione is one of Harry's dearest friends. She simply happens to be one of mine, as well. I could have asked Luna, you know, but I thought this way would be more _fair to Harry._"

Hermione smiled apologetically at Ron, who looked mutinous.

"Don't I get to do _anything?_"

"Bachelor party." Harry reminded him, "You get to plan the whole night, remember? Er- best ask George for a bit of help, though."

Ron glared at all three of them angrily, as Hermione and Ginny continued to chatter about the advantages of lilies compared to roses.

"Harry?" a deep, smooth voice sounded from Grimmauld Place's fire, and the four of them looked up to see the head of Kingsley Shacklebolt. They all greeted him, grinning.

"Harry," he repeated, "Could I have a word?"

"Er- yeah." Harry consented, a bit curious as to what Kingsley wanted with him. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny seemed to wonder as well, but they all left, heading towards the sitting room. After a moment passed in silence, Kingsley spoke up.

"So, Harry, how have you been?"

"Er- fine, good, yeah."

"Arthur tells me that you're engaged?" he asked, smiling, "Congratulations."

Harry returned the smile, glancing in the direction in which Ginny had left the room with Ron and Hermione.

"Anyway, Harry, I've been made permanent Minister of Magic."

"That's brilliant!" Harry said, sincerely, "It's about time they got someone decent."

Kingsley smiled again. "Well, I've decided to more or less clear the place out, actually. All of those 'Magic is Might' people- a lot of people, really. The ministry was corrupt long before it fell to Voldemort."

Harry nodded, remembering how Dolores Umbridge had sent dementors to attack he and Dudley three years previously.

"That leaves a lot of empty spots." Kingsley admitted, "Particularly in the Auror department. We could really use your assistance."

Harry looked at Kingsley, his eyes widening. "What- you mean, me, join the Ministry?"

"Minerva tells us you've expressed interest in becoming an Auror? I must say, it seems the clear career choice for you."

"I- blimey- but I thought you needed all your NEWTs?"

Kingsley chuckled. "Harry, you've just managed to put an end to Voldemort for good, something that two generations of Aurors have never managed to do in a collective fifteen years. We need you, with or without your NEWTS. I've set it up so you'll only have a few months of training."

Harry blinked at Kingsley rather stupidly for a moment. "So, I would join right now?" he asked slowly.

"In a few weeks, yes. You're important to our mission."

"And- and what mission is this?" Harry asked curiously, as Kingsley had never actually specified.

"We need to round up the rest of the Death Eaters. Many of them have escaped, gone into hiding. It's crucial that we find them and get them locked up, before there's another You-Know-Who."

Harry nodded, silently.

"What do you say, Harry? Will you join us?"

He remained silent, glancing again towards to the door through which Ginny had disappeared.

Kingsley watched him, smiling knowingly. "I'll understand if you need time to think it over, of course, Harry. It's a big decision."

"Yeah." Harry agreed quietly, deep in thought. "Could- Could I let you know…" he frowned. He had no idea when he would be able to make this decision.

"Let me know when you've decided, Harry. Take your time." Kingsley said kindly. "Until then…" he disappeared from the fire, leaving Harry utterly confused.

---oOoOo---

He made his way out to the sitting room, where Ron and Ginny seemed to be carrying on their conversation from earlier. This time, though, they were screaming.

"IT'S MY WEDDING, RONALD! I DON'T BLOODY CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION OF THE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS I'VE CHOSEN!" She screeched.

"Well, if you didn't care about my opinion, you shouldn't have asked me to be in the wedding at all!" Ron hollered at his sister, apparently unwary of her livid expression and raised voice, two important indicators that Ginny was not to be messed with.

"IN CASE YOU'D FORGOTTEN, I _DIDN'T _ASK YOU, _HARRY _DID, AND I'M BEGINNING TO REGRET ALLOWING HIM TO CHOOSE HIS OWN BEST MAN!" Ginny yelled. turning away from Ron with her arms crossed firmly, she found herself facing Harry instead. "Harry." She said, her face softening as she looked at him.

"Really, Ginny," he sighed, "If I had known you felt so strongly about it…" he grinned, and Ron looked ready to kill him.

"Harry, what did Kingsley say?" Ginny asked, ignoring his last statement.

Hermione, who before now had appeared throughouly disinterested, was now looking at Harry expectantly.

"He wants me to join the Ministry as an Auror."

"What?" Hermione frowned. "You mean, after school's ended."

"No." Harry shook his head. "He said they'd take me without my NEWTs, and I'd only need a few months of training. I'm supposed to start in the next month."

"So you already agreed to this?" Ginny asked sharply, her bright brown eyes piercing his.

"I- no. No, I told him I'd need to think about it, talk it out with you three."

"But you're not going to do this!" Hermione cried, "Harry, you can't possibly- you haven't learned everything you're supposed to, you need that year of school! And I don't think it's right for Kingsley to expect you to handle this, especially with a shortened amount of training!"

"You don't think I can do it?" Harry asked quietly, locking eyes with Hermione.

Hermione was silent. Ginny looked at her curiously.

"Of course you can do it, Harry." Ginny said softly. Ron nodded, actually in agreement with his sister for the first time that day, but Hermione still didn't say a word.

When she spoke, she did it slowly. "Harry, you'd be missing four years of training standard for an Auror." She pointed out quietly.

"Harry's done more than any Auror in the Ministry!" Ron pointed out, "He got the Sorcerer's Stone, he saved Ginny from the basilisk, he-"

"I know what he's _done, _Ron." Hermione interrupted him, "I was _there, _remember? It's not a question of what he's done, it's what he's _learned-"_

"Well, he's obviously learned enough, or he wouldn't be able to do those things!" Ginny said, starting to sound angry.

Hermione shook her head, sinking into the moth-eaten velvet armchair.

Harry turned towards the other two. "So- so you two think I should do this."

Ron nodded, but Ginny frowned. "I think you _can _do this." She corrected him.

"So you think I shouldn't?"

Ginny laughed. "I think it's your decision, Harry."

Harry looked at her for a moment. He had said that he wanted to talk it over with the three of them, but in reality he only cared about Ginny's opinion. He knew Ron and Hermione would be likely to accept either choice, albeit begrudgingly, but it was Ginny who really mattered. If she wouldn't tell him what she wanted him to do…

Well, than this decision was going to be more difficult than he expected.

---oOoOo---

I think I'll leave you on that cliffhanger for now. Although, I'm not 100 sure which path I want to take with this story, so if you want to offer your opinion, you are welcome to. If Harry chooses to become an Auror, than there will be a bit more action and plot. He will raise Teddy, instead of Molly taking care of him for the year. There will still be romance, and it won't be like a HP book in the sense that I'll include scenes that Harry won't have witnessed (Ron, Hermione and Ginny at school). If he decides not too, than the plot will be in a style reminiscent of the books, but there will still be some action of course. Also, a Harry at Hogwarts story would mean more fluff. Okay… I've babbled enough, so please review, and include your opinion. But say something else, too… I love long reviews. So much fun too read.  


	7. Chapter Seven: Selfish

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you!! The reviews for Chapter Six have not only been amazing in quantity, but in quality as well! Nearly all of the **_**29 so far **_**reviewers gave not only their opinion, but strong reasons and evidence for their opinions as well. As far as the actual decision: This was never a **_**vote, **_**or anything. I've been thinking about this for quite awhile, ever since the idea for this story came to me. However, I'd have to say that if this was a vote, it probably would have been a tie…which left Harry and I in precisely the same predicament. So I had to **_**choose, **_**on my own… but your reasons, evidence, opinions etc greatly assisted me in this decision. So, without further ado, here is Chapter Seven… fitting, isn't it?**

_The Time it Takes_

Chapter Seven

In the larger of two bedrooms on a high-up floor of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, a young man lay, apparently lifeless, on a handsome wooden bed. His shock of jet-black hair was perhaps messier than it had ever been, his thin face was unshaven, and his brilliant green eyes were out of focus, unable to concentrate on anything in the heavily postered room.

Anyone who walked in would have suspected Harry Potter to be deeply depressed, or else out of his mind. In truth, however, Harry was just very deep in thought. He had a decision to make, a huge, important decision, and his fiancé's refusal to give even a hint regarding her opinion didn't make things easier.

School, or career? The choice, the options, were clear as they could be, but to Harry they were as fuzzy as if he were viewing them on a broken television screen. Being an Auror had been Harry's goal since he was fourteen, when Barty Crouch, Jr had first suggested it to him. Now he had the opportunity to become one without even the risk of failure. He wouldn't have to take his NEWTs, or apply, or go through the standard training procedure.

_But was that wise? _Persistently, a little voice in the back of his mind repeated this question yet again. This voice was matter-of-fact, unmistakably feminine, and sounded suspiciously like Hermione. The question had run itself through his mind a thousand times, and that was what worried him. He hadn't learned enough, he feared. There was so much he had yet to figure out, so much that was _vital. _Ron and Ginny were confident that he could do it, but…

_Hermione wasn't, _he reminded himself quietly, and however much he sometimes hated to admit it, Hermione was like Dumbledore in her tendency to be right about things.

There was also the matter of Ginny. Though she had _said _that she would be fine with either decision, Harry couldn't help but feel that she _must _have an opinion. Ginny always had an opinion. Unfortunately, Harry was having trouble deciding what her opinion must be.

If Ginny were a more selfish person, than Harry could be certain that she would prefer Harry to remain at school. After all, he was her fiancé. Almost any girl would want to have her fiancé by her side… and even though Ginny _wasn't _selfish, Harry remembered the promise he had made to her at Kings Cross station, as he presented her with her engagement ring.

_I'll never leave you behind again._

But would he really be leaving her behind? This wouldn't be like last year, when Ginny was left alone to worry about Harry, not knowing where he was. She would know what he was doing, where he was going. It would be different, this time.

Ginny could be disappointed in him, if he chose to remain safe at school while others risked their lives. But would she want him risking his life now, that they were engaged?

There were Death Eaters out there, Harry reminded himself. Death Eaters who had murdered and tortured, who had locked up his friends and supporters. Death Eaters who could continue to do so. It wasn't right, he thought, to sit by safe and sound at school while these people were still free. But who was to say he would be able to help at all?

Harry sat up for the first time in hours, rubbing his tired eyes from under his slightly lopsided glasses. He had reached a decision.

---oOoOo---

Harry looked at the three people in front of him nervously. There was Ron, looking impatient, with his arm around Hermione, her bushy hair pulled back into a long plait. She was frowning at Harry, and looked quite as nervous as he felt. Ginny was sitting on the moldy velvet arm chair, looking as beautiful as ever, and gazing at Harry so intensely that he felt the need to run and hide. Instead, he said, his voice shakier than he would have liked,

"I've made a decision." He said unnecessarily, which didn't seem to satisfy them. He was silent for a moment, until Ron said, quite loudly,

"And?"

They continued to pierce them with their eyes, four brown and two blue, all six apparently trying to tap into their inner Legilimens. "And," Harry continued, "I've decided to go back to school."

Hermione's face brightened at once, looking happy and relieved. Ron looked satisfied, perhaps a bit disappointed. Ginny's face was unreadable. They were all silent.

"But," he added slowly, focusing directly on Ginny this time, "I'm going to be training at the same time. Kingsley's told me that they can send people to work with me during the evenings and weekends, and I'll be going on missions when they need me."

He swallowed, looking at them once more. "Well?"

Hermione stood up to walk forward and hug him tightly. "I think you've made the right decision, Harry."

He laughed. "I had a feeling you might think so."

Ron got up next, grinning. "It would've been cool, though, mate, don't you think?"

Harry laughed again. "Yeah- yeah, I s'pose it would've been. Better like this, though, I think."

Ron nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. With a glance towards his sister, who was still sitting on the chair, he left the room with Hermione.

Harry's eyes connected with hers, and as Ron closed the door, she slowly got up the chair, walking towards him.

As she reached him, she simply looked up to his face, not saying a word at all.

"Well?" he asked again. "I've made my decision; you can tell me what you think of it, can't you?"

She smiled slightly, and reached up to close the gap between them, hugging him tightly. "I'm selfish, Harry." She told him quietly.

He grinned. "You're not, Ginny. If you were selfish, you would have told me not to go."

"But I didn't want you to! You must have known…" she sighed. "I love you, Harry. And if you had gone, that would have been fine with me. I'd be lying, though, if I said this wasn't what I wanted."

"It's what I want, too." He told her. "And Hermione's right, y'know. I couldn't manage, all the things I'd need to know. She did all the impressive stuff out there, last year. I've got to learn first."

"You would have been fine." She told him, taking his hand. "I have faith in you."

"I love you for that." He said. He reached down to kiss her, and when they broke apart, both gasping for air, Harry smiled.

"Plus, you know, I would've missed out on a lot, not being around."

**A/N: So… I'm sorry if I disappointed you! At first I was dead certain that Harry was going to take the Auror Job, but the Hermione in my own head was quite persistent. I've been planning this for a while, and I must have changed my mind at least a dozen times. Your reviews meant a lot to me particularly this chapter, so please keep them coming. I must say, though, I'm terribly sorry that I won't be able to include as much Teddy as I would like at this point. Perhaps Harry and the gang will pop in to visit on occasion, for I am very interested in the little bugger. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering: Harry will be an Auror in my story, which WILL continue on past this year. It probably won't cover all nineteen years, but you never know. It will definitely continue until James' birth, I'm not sure how far it will go after that. Well, I'm sorry if you didn't get the results you wanted with this. I'm also sorry that it's so short. **


	8. Chapter Eight: Perfect Team

**A/N: Arg, I am **_**so **_**sorry! It's been a week at least since I updated (not sure on the exact count) and I don't even have an excuse except for that I've had awful writer's block. I wrote like, six versions of this, was horribly annoyed with all of them, and I'm not even sure I like this one. At all. So I'm slower on the update than usual, and I apologize.**** Well, without further ado, I give you… Chapter Eight! ******

The Time It Takes 

_Chapter Eight_

"Bloody hell…" Ron groaned as they made their way into King's Cross Station, "It's Attack of the Fan Girls."

Harry looked around warily, and sure enough, a group of ridiculous girls, giggling hysterically were approaching, headed by sixth-year Romilda Vane.

"Best get Ginny before they get to you, mate." Ron grinned, slapping Harry on the shoulder.

"What about _you_? Shouldn't you be fetching Hermione to save you?" Harry retorted irritably, looking around the station for his absent fiancée.

"Why? They don't want _me, _they want the famous Harry Potter… maybe she could wave her ring around, while loudly discussing those… Chinese things." He suggested, helpful as always.

"China patterns." Harry muttered, ashamed of himself for knowing such things, "And we were _going _to keep things _quiet-"_

"Well, that's not very likely to happen, is it?" Hermione interrupted from behind them, "Honestly, Harry, half of those silly girls would be saying you were engaged even if you weren't seeing each other."

"And that ring on Ginny's finger, that's a real good way of 'keeping things quiet'…" Ron snorted. "You're engaged, mate. Might as well take advantage of it.

"Right." Harry said, eyeing the girls, who were getting closer and more determined looking by the second. "As if I'd take advantage of-"

But at that moment, Ginny appeared, and looking desperately from her to the girls, who were now merely yards away, Harry felt he had no choice in the matter.

He drew her to him immediately, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Harry pressed his lips against hers. She was still for a moment, her eyes widening a bit, but after that she responded involuntarily, sliding her small hands into his unruly hair and bringing him closer. It was not long before the were kissing so deeply that it was much too private for Romilda and the fan girls not to mention all of King's Cross Station. Harry didn't seem to know or care much about that, however.

It was only Ron's cries of objection that pulled him reluctantly back to reality.

"OI! MATE! THE GIRLS ARE GONE! YOU CAN STOP NOW- OI! DON'T FORGET, THAT'S MY SISTER-"

They broke apart suddenly, Harry looking slightly ashamed of himself, Ginny fierce as ever.

"Oh, shut up, Ron." She said sharply, "As if _you're _so conservative and innocent." She smirked, glancing at Hermione apologetically before adding, slowly, "Lavender Brown."

"Come off it, Ron." Harry said as Ron continued to glare at him. "You told me to get the girls away. You said, 'You're engaged, mate, take advantage of it'."

"What's this?" Ginny cried angrily, but Ron, of course, ignored her.

"I _meant _that you could… I dunno, announce your engagement _verbally. _You didn't have to go and snog for ten minutes!" Ron said indignantly, and Hermione laughed.

"Really, Ron, what would _you _have done?"

Ron looked from Harry to his girlfriend, alarmed, and he sighed, "I- I dunno- I'd-"

"Snog her senseless and you know it." Ginny said. She was more annoyed then amused, but she seemed to have decided that being used in such a manner was a bit better than having her fiancée mauled by rabid fan girls. After all, she reasoned to herself, that Romilda Vane looked like she meant business.

O.o.0.o.O

Harry had forgotten how much he loved the Hogwarts Express. The moment they had broken the barrier into Platform 9 ¾, he had felt his face break into a wide smile, and it only go bigger as they made their way onto the scarlet steam engine.

Noticing his expression, Ginny laughed. "You'd think you'd never seen this place before."

Hermione smiled understandingly at him, taking Ron's hand as they searched for a compartment, and Ron grinned at Harry, taking in the train happily.

"Good to be back, eh, mate?"

Harry nodded, unable to get rid of the seemingly permanent grin on his face, and they walked on.

Eventually, they found a compartment occupied by Luna Lovegood, who was balancing on her head.

"'Lo, Luna." Ron greeted, sitting down next to the place where she was balancing as if this was perfectly normal behavior for a train compartment.

"Hello, Ronald." She said serenely, tumbling over onto her feet and sitting across from him. "Ginny!"

"Yes?" she replied, a bemused expression on her face, "Something wrong?"

"On your finger, that's a Heliosiron!"

Hermione looked a bit put out, and sighed, "It's a ring, Luna."

"Oh, but those are very dangerous, they attract heliopaths to unsuspecting travelers- I've told you about heliopaths, haven't I? Cornelius Fudge, the old minister of magic, he had an army of them." She informed them solemnly.

They were all silent for a moment, not quite sure how to respond to this. Ron, finally, said,

"Harry and Ginny are getting married." He said this with a very casual sort of limited enthusiasm, as if he had just announced that they would be serving mashed potatoes with dinner that night.

"That's very nice." Luna smiled, "A wedding sounds lovely. I hope you've picked your flower arrangements carefully…"

Hermione looked a bit tempted, but no one dared asked why they should be wary of any certain type of flowers.

Harry smiled. He'd missed Luna the previous year. Her extraordinary beliefs and quirky behaviors had grown on all of them in the years since they'd befriended her, and had often lightened even the worst situations. He looked out the window, watching the passing countryside, as the train gradually neared the place he had called home for the past seven years. There had been so much he had missed.

O.o.0.o.O

Though the train seemed to move slower than usual this year, eventually it became evident that the castle was drawing near. Harry grinned happily as he changed into his familiar school robes, proudly adorning the Quidditch Captain badge that McGonagall had sent him, and even putting on the pointed hat that he had barely touched since first year. Oddly enough, his head didn't seem to have grown very much, as it still fit fine.

He joined the others in the compartment, Hermione wearing the Head Girl badge that she had received despite not graduating with her class. Ron was still wearing his old Prefect's badge. Ginny had on a badge as well, and as she was not a prefect, that was what struck Harry as odd.

He frowned, taking a closer look at the golden badge pinned to her chest. Ron snickered at this, but as Harry looked away, he was rather confused.

"Why've you got a Quidditch Captain badge?" he asked, frowning down at Ginny, who was smiling mischievously.

"Ginny's been Captain of the Gryffindor team since last year." Luna said, "They did an excellent job, you know. Until teams were banned, of course… but Gryffindor had quite a lot of spirit."

"You couldn't exactly expect us to sit around and wait for you to show up." Ginny smiled, "Though the seeker we got wasn't nearly as good, we had to score tons of goals before he got around to catching the snitch."

"I'm Captain this year, though." He frowned, "McGonagall sent me the badge with my book lists."

"Harry." Ginny grinned, "How carefully have you _examined _the badge?"

Hermione, looking at the badges on Harry and Ginny's chests, smiled. "Take a look, Harry."

Frowning again, he unpinned his badge, and stared at it for a moment. There was the hoop, snitch, and club insignia, and the words sloping around the badge as usual: Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Co-Captain."

He glanced at Ginny as he pinned the badge back to it's place, and she held up her identical badge, smiling. "_Co-Captain_?"

**Well, there it is. As I said before, I'm not crazy about it, but please review. I'll love you forever… not that I won't already, of course, but reviewing would greatly improve my moral and probably cause me to update sooner. I need inspiration. Anyways, I do rather like the idea of Harry and Ginny captaining together. I think they'll make a pretty good team, don't you? How about you tell me… in the form of a review! ******


	9. Chapter Nine: My Baby

**A/N: So, here I am, back again… not so soon, but better late than never, right? See dedication for why I even made it here now… I've had writer's block, which is really no excuse, but hopefully that's gone for at least awhile, because I've got a better idea of where I'm going with this- besides to the epilogue, obviously, but there's quite a while in between that. So, I'll try to be better. And- to make everybody hate me less- and because I can't resist- Chapter Nine includes a TEDDY moment. Hope you enjoy. **

Chapter Nine THE TIME IT TAKES 

_Chapter Nine is dedicated to a most awesome reviewer, who scared me into motivation by her words of wisdom- "And even if it takes you months to update, I'll still read and review…" Months? Eek. So, terrified of my own procrastination- Thanks goes to __TheOriginalHufflepuff_

Molly Weasley was circling around her cluttered kitchen so quickly she might have been training for the Quidditch World Cup without a broom. In the past minute and a half, she had run in from the sitting room, paced the entire room searching for something frantically, run back into the sitting room, and repeated the entire routine.

Her husband, Arthur, had been watching the entire thing, and was beginning to worry.

"Food." She muttered anxiously, "Where in _Merlin's name _can I find some bloody-"

"Molly, dear?" Arthur asked tentatively, "Something- er- wrong?"

"_Food!_" She shrieked, "A bottle for the baby- I _had _one, and now it's _gone, _and- and- he's going to starve if I don't feed him soon, and a bottle's the only way, and I need the god-forsaken milk! Where is it?"

"I- I don't know?"

"You took it for one of your ridiculous experiments, didn't you? Another muggle thing! It's a _muggle _bottle, Arthur, I sent Hermione out for it! You TOOK the bottle! The bottle for the _baby, _Arthur, how could you POSSIBLY-"

"Molly, I-"

"I would never _dream _you'd be so selfish! How could you! A baby, Arthur, he's _defenseless, _you've taken his only source of- of nourishment-" She looked and sounded close to tears, and Arthur was becoming more concerned for his wife and worried for his own safety.

"Molly, dear-"

"DON'T YOU DARE INTERUPT ME, ARTHUR WEASELY!" she screamed, and he smiled at her softly, which caused her to narrow her eyes and appear more livid than ever. He quickly replaced his grin with a more somber expression, as he walked towards the sink, prepared a glass of water, and flicked his wand in its direction. He handed it to Molly, a perfect blue and white milk-filled bottle, and she stared at it for a moment before biting her lip and nodding.

"Thank you, Arthur." She said quietly, beginning to walk towards the door. "I- I suppose I'll get the bottle to Freddie, then."

It was a moment before either of them had understood her words.

Never in their thirty-year marriage had there been such a silence.

Their eyes locked, her trembling brown on his lost, sad blue, and neither said a word. Molly nodded because she had no idea what else to do. She felt the hot rush of unwanted tears gathering behind her eyes, and quickly turned to leave the room.

---

Harry glanced around the corridor nervously, surveying the empty hall for any stragglers. _All right so far._

Quickly, he walked towards the end of the hallway, checked around the corner, and looked down the stairs._ Seems okay…_

Finally, he pulled out the Marauder's Map, he glanced towards the bathrooms that were positioned on the left wall, and smiled to himself. _Looks like it's just me, then. _

He stretched out on the floor, not particularly caring how ridiculous he would look to a passerby- he'd be long gone as soon as he saw one coming, of course. He unfolded the crumpled portion of the map, and let his eyes travel for a moment before landing on the Gryffindor Table of the Great Hall.

Wincing, he noticed his most-studied black dot being enclosed on by at least twenty other black dots, each baring a feminine name. He suddenly felt immensely guilty for leaving Ginny in the hall, with only Hermione and Ron for protection. Tonight's return to school had made a selfish git out of him, but he was _tired. _He had a _headache. _And, furthermore, he was sure that if he had mentioned any of this to Ginny, she would have told him to suck it up and stop whining. He convinced himself, firmly, that if things got too out of hand, he'd return and try to help.

The minute he had stepped off of the Hogwarts Express, mind still whirling from happiness for returning to school, and a flurry of mixed emotions about captaining the team with Ginny, he had begun to hear loud announcements of his own engagements. They weren't being made to _him, _of course, but they were so terribly audible that he must have heard sixty of them.

"Katherine, did you hear the NEWS about HARRY POTTER? Word is, he's ENGAGED, to that WEASLEY GIRL!"

"I hear they're getting married in the _South of France!"_

"_I _hear that McGonagall is allowing them to have a private dormitory, just for the two of them!"

Harry scoffed, thinking of that one. As if McGonagall would ever allow anything of the sort. He doubted she would have considered it for a moment if he and Ginny were already married. With all of these ridiculous rumors spreading around, it was only a matter of time before he started hearing-

"HARRY POTTER!" a shrill, feminine voice shrieked, "I was informed by a _very _reliable source that you and Ginny Weasley eloped last June, the night of the battle, to _New Mexico _in the _United States! _Can you confirm?"

Harry jumped nearly a mile. The girl standing in front of him held a small pink notepad in her hand and was scribbling incessantly with a shimmering green quill. Her blonde hair was cut into a flippy bob, held in place by a deep magenta colored headband, and she wore gem-studded cat's eye glasses. Her lips were red and shimmering with something that he often watched Ginny slide onto her own lips in a glittery tube. The effect was much more charming on Ginny than it was on this girl- because, standing in front of him, smiling widely, could only be a fifteen-year-old Rita Skeeter.

"No comment? Hmm. Interesting. All right, then, what do you say to the rumors that Ginny is, in fact, carrying a child?"

"_WHAT?" _he yelped. This was really getting ridiculous.

"Ah. I suppose the _other _part of that rumor must be accurate as well, than… I'll have to question that Draco Malfoy, then, I do wonder if he knows about all this…"

"_Malfoy_?"

She made a face that could have been sympathy, had her wide smile not betrayed her 'sad' blue eyes. "Adultery is a _terrible _thing, Harry, and I really don't know _what _Ginny sees in that Malfoy character…"

"She doesn't-" Harry closed his eyes, trying to regain composure. "Who _are _you?"

"Lucy Rigby." She said quickly, "Now, could you _please _answer my questions, because this is highly important information for the _Daily Hogwash, _and-"

"Er- are you by any chance related to Rita Skeeter?"

Lucy looked astonished, but not unpleasantly so. "_Related_? Rita is my role model, my- my _inspiration!_ You- you think we could be _related_?"

"No- I mean, er- you look a bit like her, is all." He muttered uncomfortably.

Lucy apparently took this as a most high compliment. "We'll talk later, Harry Potter." She said confidently, and strode away, leaving Harry both awestruck and worried.

The last thing Hogwarts needed was a teenaged Rita Skeeter.

---

"There, there, dear," Molly whispered to the wailing baby in her arms, "Settle down, Teddy, darling." She gently eased the bottle into his mouth, and smiled down at him, and he was silent for a moment, until he reached a chubby hand and touched her wet cheek.

"That's it, love." She murmured, allowing his hand to enclose around her finger. "Poor little darling, Teddy-bear. We're just alike, you and I. Both a bit lost."

"You aren't just alike." A voice from the doorway said quietly. "_You _had the power to mention that you were feeling lost."

Molly jumped, causing Teddy to let out a short wail. "Shh." She whispered to him. "Arthur." She said quietly, still looking at Teddy. "You scared me."

"I could say the same to you." He walked towards the couch where Molly and Teddy rested, placing his hand on her arm. "You aren't the only one in pain, Molly. He was my son as much as yours."

She looked up at her husband in surprise, eyes welling with tears. "Oh, _Arthur._" She sighed, "It's only that… with the Ron and Ginny at school- and Charlie and Bill and Percy off, of course, and _Georgie-_" She gulped, the tears gushing down her face, "Poor George, consuming himself with work, shut up in that damn flat, never saying a word to anyone if it can be helped- I- I just miss my…" She was incoherent now, bubbling half-sentences, her tears dripping onto Teddy's face, and Arthur held her tightly.

"It's all right to cry, Molly." He said quietly, "We all need to cry- none of us are crying nearly enough…"

"I pushed him!" she sobbed into his shoulder, Teddy still in her arms.

"What?"

"When- when Percy came- before he died- I- I _pushed _him, Arthur, I pushed him out of the way for Percy… I was _always _pushing him away for Percy… and… and he was _so _brave. So good… my b-baby…"

"He loved you, Molly." Arthur said fiercely, his voice low. "He loved you and he knew you loved him."

"But I was so hard on him- him and Georgie both, of course… was so unsupportive of that joke shop…"

"Shh." Arthur sighed, "Molly, dear, he never expected you to be supportive of the shop. That was half the fun of it."

She laughed. It was shaky and watery, but it was a laugh nonetheless, and soon it was a fit of laughter, giggles and chuckles and tears gushing down her face the whole time, but she laughed.

When she stopped, it was to look down at Teddy, who had let out another cry. As she saw what he had been calling her attention to, she cried aloud herself. Red hair, a thatch of scarlet, jaunty freckles scattered lightly around the face- and something in the brown eyes, shining and flashing- that familiar, friendly, glimmer, that mischief and laughter- the look that had solemnly sweared that he was up to no good.

But for Molly at that moment, it did all the good in the world.

**All right. So, I like this chapter; my only personal quabble is that there's no Ron, Hermione, or Ginny, which I will make up for with Chapter Ten, which should be up soon, and which features: Auror Training, the identity of the Mysterious Head Boy, and… the much begged-for Ron/Hermione romance-y stuff. So, I've got a question which you are free to answer in the form of a REVIEW: Lucy Rigby- what do you think? My little OC- and she's not a carbon copy of Rita. That's only Harry's first impression of her… and, really, are Harry first impressions usually accurate? Anyways, let me know what you think, and btw: does anybody know where her name comes from? If you think you do… let me know that, also. I looove reviews so much. Okay. So, leaving now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, look out for the next Update. ******


	10. Chapter Ten: Jealous Much?

"Harry, I'm afraid I have something to tell you." Ginny sighed, biting her lower-lip as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. "You know our marriage has been shaky, and after that _disastrous _third honeymoon to Antigua last week, I have a confession to make. Harry… I've been cheating on you with Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Neville. _All at once. _And so, I feel I must tell you, I am pregnant. With quintuplets. And I haven't the foggiest as to who's they are." She hesitated. "I understand if you want to sell the summer home in Ireland, the boat house in the South of France, the haunted castle in Transylvania, and the six million galleon resort getaway in Los Angeles, California. I suppose it's lucky for you that the prenuptial agreement you impersiused me into signing leaves me with nothing." Her face was held in a convincing expression that was solemn and forlorn, until Harry spoke.

"Yup. Lucky for me. Otherwise you might have taken the flying manor sculpted entirely of ice in the North Pole, and you know how fond I am of the neighbors." Harry replied, just as solemnly, and then, in a lower voice, "And the brats are _Malfoy's _from what I hear."

"Well-" Ginny said through hysterical giggles, "Thank you for clearing that up for me, then, I was hoping for blondes."

After a few moments of laughter, Harry remembered something.

"Hey- what d'you know about Lucy Rigby?"

Ginny frowned. "Lucy? She's the blonde, right? Big fan of Rita Skeeter?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded.

"She's in my year, our year, I guess you'd say now, but she was Beuxbatons up till last year, her mum went there. She must have liked Hogwarts, if she's decided to stay. She's editor of the Hogwash."

"Er- what is the Hogwash, exactly?" he had now heard it mentioned twice this evening, and still had no idea what it was.

"School newspaper. It started last year, as an underground thing- the name fools people, see, because it seems like a load of rubbish from the front cover- and some of it is a load of rubbish, of course, gossip and all that- but the Carrows never bothered with it if they saw it, they were a bit thick, y'know. The Hogwash was really telling things the way they were, you know, the war and all. They'd mention you, now and then... what they thought you were up to." She said the last few sentences softer than the rest. Clearly the newspaper had been at least a small comfort to Ginny in the past year.

"And- and _this girl _was in charge?"

Ginny laughed. "I suppose she attacked you with the rumor mill, then? She's a gossip; believes every rumor she hears, but she's harmless for the most part. There is the Rita fetish, though; I think that's who she aspires to be. It's a bit disgusting, actually, if you know how she really is, but Lucy's not awful."

"She in Slytherin?" Harry asked warily.

"Ravenclaw." Ginny shrugged. "She's not really so bad, Harry. I expect she'll be hounding us for a few weeks, but I wouldn't worry too much about her."

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, but were waiting for Ron and Hermione, who had the password. They caught up in a moment, each looking a bit breathless. Hermione's blush more or less gave away any chance at hiding what the couple had been doing.

"Fanged Geranium." Hermione said quickly, avoiding Harry and Ginny's eyes. The Fat Lady swung open, and Hermione turned to leave. "G'nightthen." She muttered, as if she was quick and quiet enough, she would be able to slip away unnoticed.

"Where're you going?" Ron demanded, grabbing her wrist, "Not the library, Hermione, really, it's our first night back!"

"I'm going to bed." She muttered, deliberately not looking at him.

Ron frowned. "Hermione, the dormitory is in _there._" He said slowly.

"Ron!" she cried, "I thought you knew- Heads have a separate tower to themselves, you see?"

"Heads- _heads- _as in you and the Head _Boy_?" he asked incredulously.

"Unless you were expecting them to appoint two Head Girls, Ron." Ginny joked, earning nothing but glares from her brother.

"Ron, it's really not such a big deal-"

"You and some bloke, in your own tower? _Alone?_"

"There are two separate rooms, Ronald." Hermione said impatiently.

"BUT YOU'RE IN THERE TOGETHER? THERE'S NO WAY-"

Harry looked to Ginny nervously. She seemed to agree that now would be an excellent time to retire to the common room.

---

The following morning, Harry awoke early to the sound of Ron pacing and muttering to himself. Harry sat up, groaned and groped around for his glasses, which were on the floor beside his bed. "Ron- what're you-" but Ron was unresponsive. He didn't seem to be aware that Harry, or anyone else, was present in the room.

"He's been like this for hours." Came a thick mutter from the next bed. Harry looked around to find Dean Thomas, staring towards Ron with a mixture of annoyance and sympathy, annoyance being more prominent by far.

"Just like this?" Harry asked warily, looking towards his best friend, who appeared quite deranged.

"Gets worse every once in awhile. Keeps running around, rambling about Hermione and some Ravenclaw bloke."

"Head Boy." Harry muttered back. "He and Hermione a row last night. Ron didn't know about the living circumstances."

Dean chuckled, and both of them rose from their four-posters, wondering what to do with the crazy person pacing their dorms.

Somehow, Harry, Dean, and Neville, who was returning for the first half of the term, managed to get Ron down to breakfast, where they were serving food far more heavenly than Harry had remembered.

Harry and Ginny watched Ron with a twisted sort of amusement as he went about breakfast without speaking, except for the occasional swear. He seemed to be holding a grudge against the food, the way he was going about cutting it. Hermione looked annoyed, if not furious, while she watched this behavior, and seemed to be wondering for the seven millionth time why she was dating such an imbecile. Harry fought back the urge to grin as she stuck up her nose toward Ron as she left the table, because he knew perfectly well that she would never end things.

Ginny did grin, suppressing only a giggle, and looked at Harry, her brown eyes twinkling.

Glancing at his best friend, who was currently venting his frustration with Hermione on an innocent piece of toast, Harry grinned back. Harry grinned back at his fiancée, who was _not _Head Girl, and therefore not sharing a room with anyone other than a bunch of girls, who was smart and tough and funny and _ridiculously _beautiful. Harry had never felt so lucky in his life.

---

Upon Harry and Ginny's entrance to Charms, Professor Flitwick hopped onto his chair, gave a high, merry laugh, and burst into applause.

Harry thought this was odd, but as it turned out, Professors in general were at their strangest when confronted with two students engaged to be married. Along with Charms, they took Transfiguration and Potions on Monday, and each of their teachers behaved as just as oddly. _McGonagall _had actually taken Ginny's hand, studied the ring carefully, and looked up at the two of them teary-eyed.

"So like your father, Potter." She said quietly, and smiled faintly as they took their seats awkwardly.

Slughorn congratulated Harry, adding in a quieter voice, "Don't get that one upset with you, or you'll be sleeping on the sofa amidst a crowd of Bat Bogeys!"

"You'd better believe it." Ginny called from her seat, earning laughter and applause from her fellow girls, and a nervous stare from Harry.

When his potions work was considerably worse than it had been in his sixth year, Slughorn attributed it to being, "young and in love." In reality, it was the absence of the Half-Blood Prince that was causing his potion to emit completely undesired red and black smoke and a honking noise. Harry's stomach lurched as the thought of Snape invaded his head. He had been so convinced that he was evil, up to no good as usual; never once had he considered Snape's goodness.

Dumbledore, inevitably, had been right all along. Harry frowned, trying to push these thoughts out of his head. Predictably, this didn't actually work. When had it ever?

---

On the eighth floor of Hogwarts was a painting so boring, tasteless, and all together unnoticeable that it was rarely glanced at by more than two seventh year students each year. Tonight, though, it had become one of the most-noticed spots in the entire castle. Because on the floor under the portrait was a pillow, a blanket, and a single sleeping bag, occupied by an apparently extremely annoyed Ron Weasley.

He was obviously awake, staring at the portrait hole, with an odd flesh colored string connecting his ear to the surface of the painting. Each passerby was either worried or simply amused at the sight, and Harry, as he walked by, couldn't decide on one or the other.

"Ron." He said slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Hermione is in _there _with a_ bloke._" Ron responded angrily, without taking his eyes off of the portrait, as if this answer explained Ron's actions completely.

"Nothing is going on between Hermione and-" Harry broke off, sick of being patient. "Ron, get up. This is ridiculous, you are making a _fool _of yourself."

"No." Ron said stubbornly. "I'm staying out here."

"You are _not._" Came a sharp reply from Ginny, who had noticed the scene and come to investigate. "Get up, Ron. Don't be a git."

"Shut up, Ginny." He grumbled, without looking at her, "I don't need your advice."

Ginny smirked. "I suppose you're right." Grinning mysteriously, she stepped over him, banged on the portrait hole (much to the subjects angry objection) and cried, "_Hermione!_ Get out here!"

"_Ginny! _What are you-" but Ron didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because Hermione promptly stuck her head out of the portrait hole.

"Yes?" Ginny and Harry simply pointed downward in response. Hermione's eyes narrowed, glanced towards the floor, and rolled up at the ceiling. She stepped down out of the hole, and crossed her dressing gown clad arms.

"Ronald." She said, her voice oozing with the fake sweetness that signified obvious anger. "_WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"_

"I think that's our cue to leave." Ginny said cheerfully, and she and Harry headed down the hall, leaving Ron to the wrath of Hermione.

---

"Ron, if you can't _trust me, _than I don't see how this relationship is going to work." She said angrily, her bushy hair full of frizz and static from anger.

"I do _trust you!" _He burst out, jumping up from the sleeping bag.

"_Really, _Ron? If you _trust me, _than why are you _camping in front of my tower, listening in?_"

"I didn't _hear _anything."

"Because there's nothing to hear! Terry is upstairs asleep, and I'm _reading._"

"Reading?" Ron replied suspiciously.

"Yes, Ron, _reading. _I know it's a foreign concept to you, but-"

"Just reading?"

"_Just reading."_

"What book?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Never heard of it." Ron said angrily.

"It's a _Muggle _book."

"Well, _that's _convenient." He muttered.

"I am not making it up! Pride and Prejudice is a literary classic!"

"Literary classic, Merlin's-"

"_Ron!_"

looking at him with eyes blazing, she turned away angrily.

"I'll see you in the morning." She grumbled. "_Maybe._"

She stood up and walked towards the extrememly irritated portrait, and said the password under her breath, knowing that Ron would most certainly break in if he knew what it was.

"Hermione!" Ron burst out angrily, banging on the door, "C'mon, Hermione, come back-"

"_What?_" She screamed, swinging the door open but keeping her back to him.

"I love you." He said cheerily, a grin on his face.

She whirled around, and sighed, trying desperately not to give into the smile that was fighting at the corners of her mouth.

She walked towards him, and kissed him gently before backing away.

"I love you too." She said, losing the battle with her smile. "But, Merlin, Ron, if you don't stop behaving like a jealous arse over nothing-"

Ron nodded, kissing her again to cut her off. "Yeah. You'll love me even more."

**A/n: so I'm not crazy about this chapter… it's kind of filler, I guess, but next will be better… I hope… Oh: something useful- I need ideas for the new DADA teacher. I don't want an OC, but… I'm not sure who I can use that's canon. If you have a suggestion, review and I will love you forever. Review, period, and I will love you forever. ******


End file.
